Duran Lantink was crowned 2025’s International Woolmark Prize (IWP) winner last evening at a Milanese skating rink during the fiber promotion organization’s annual talent-incubating event.
Pieter Mulier and Südwolle Group took home the evolved iteration of the Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation and the Supply Chain Award, respectively, during the event at Palazzo del Ghiaccio in Italy as well.
Lantink founded his namesake label in 2019, somewhere between Amsterdam and Paris, becoming known for its cheeky take on “conscious collections” that in turn “captured the zeitgeist,” as evidenced by custom creations for the likes of Lily-Rose Depp and Janelle Monae. For IWP2025, the Billie Eilish-beloved designer incorporated 3D reconstructed knitwear, fusing historical Dutch weaving techniques and recycled army sweaters with woven check patterns and Merino wool to “reinterpret” the old for new.
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Woolmark awarded Lantink nearly $190,000 to develop his business further—about 36 percent more than the 70-year-old award’s predecessors took home in 2023—as well as ongoing mentorship from the industry and Woolmark Prize retail partners.
“I feel very honored to receive this award,” the Dutch designer said. “I’m just so happy because we worked so hard with so many collaborators and it’s just really great to get this recognition.”
The International Woolmark Prize has been awarded to an emerging designer showcasing “the beauty, versatility and modernity of Merino wool,” per the marketing arm of Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), since 1954 following a woolgrowers’ 1936 decision to impose levies on all the bales from the Land Down Under.
“We are in a moment when we need to feel better,” IWP2025 judge Donatella Versace said. “Duran makes us feel that.”
The eponymous brand’s now-ambassador chaired the panel, who were won over with Lantink’s collection coalescing deadstock and used with new materials: what Versace called a “wonderful combination of respect for the fiber and a joyful sense of the future.”
Merging regenerative design with heritage craftsmanship, Lantink’s submission expanded on his previous work with Merino wool to incorporate a “playful interrogation of bad taste,” per Woolmark, where “human and animalistic motifs collide.”
The Australian merino wool marketer further described Lantink’s IWP2025 collection as blending the “ordinary with the extraordinary,” reportedly hand-knit by a team of 12 Dutch artisans engaged in the “collaborative, community-driven and time-honored” process.
“Supporting the next generation of fashion talent has never been more important,” Versace said. The sentiment was shared by the dozen decision-makers assembled by the 60-year-old subsidiary. Zegna’s Alessandro Sartori, too, was inspired by the innovation emerging from the next generation of designers.
“Encouraging them to trust their creative instincts, empowering them to innovate within the context of sustainability and craftsmanship, is how we ensure that their ideas aren’t just heard, but flourish,” the artistic director said. “The future is theirs to shape; I’m excited to be part of this pivotal moment in fashion.”
Joining Sartori as members of the Versace-chaired jury were stylist Law Roach and N°21 leader Alessandro Dell’Acqua, as well as Irish educator Sinéad Burke and Chicago-born Grammy winner Honey Dijon. Media heads Tim Blanks and Simone Marchetti rounded out the panel of judges, alongside Saks Fifth Avenue director Roopal Patel and stylist Danielle Goldberg.
Dazed’s former editor-in-chief, IB Kamara, “artistically directed” this year’s prize, which centered around the sun.
“The theme reflects Woolmark’s mission to celebrate Merino wool as a natural, renewable and biodegradable fiber,” per the “Filter by Fabric” campaigner, “and to challenge the finalists to develop innovative, future-focused wool collections.”
The Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation, meanwhile, was restructured to serve the fashion industry more broadly, to be awarded to any brand or individual within the sector “pushing the boundaries” of Merino wool innovation. Its inaugural winner, Pieter Mulier, was selected for his “innovative and continued use” of the fiber.
“I am so honored and happy to receive the inaugural Karl Lagerfeld Award for Innovation. At Alaïa, wool plays an important role in the search for innovation and modernity,” Mulier said. “In my Summer Fall 2024 collection, one single yarn was used as a full concept, pushing how the richness of wool can be translated in all shapes, sizes, textures and forms.”
Honoring an “outstanding member of the supply chain that’s demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in advancing sustainable practices,” the Supply Chain Award was presented to Südwolle Group for its “continual commitment and dedication” to product development, meeting consumer needs and supporting the wool industry at large.
“As ambassadors for wool we actively promote this fantastic fiber—through our global yarn production network, and our strong partnerships with manufacturers, brands and designers across diverse industries,” said Südwolle’s chief sales officer, Stéphane Thouvay. “We keep investing and exploring new techniques and possibilities, with the development of new technologies, or the creation of new blends with other fibers, to enhance wool’s properties.”
